Location and directional services are popular applications for mobile computing devices such as smartphones, tablets, and portable computers. Typical directional services provide outdoor driving or walking directions between locations, using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver on the mobile device and referencing detailed map data maintained on a remote server. Thus, typical mapping solutions require network and/or GPS connectivity. Additionally, the location and movement of the mobile device may be tracked by the remote server.
Typical mapping databases provide detailed views of outdoor spaces. However, details of indoor locations, including large buildings such as convention halls, shopping malls, or government buildings, are typically not included in such mapping databases. Many private building owners do not provide details on the internal layout of their buildings to third-party map providers for security, privacy, or competitive reasons. Also, network connectivity may be unavailable or spotty for mobile devices within indoor locations, and GPS signals may be weak within some indoor locations. Thus, even when an indoor location is included in mapping data, location or directional services may not be available to a mobile device.